The Best Way
by Psi Fi
Summary: Tegan finds truth in the old adage "The best way to get rid of an enemy is to make him a friend."
1. A Night Out

Author's note: This is actually the second chapter of this series, but the first chapter contains explicit content. The first chapter is called Passionate and can be found elsewhere on the web. It isn't necessary to read it to know what is going on. The reader just needs to know that the Master and Tegan had a previous, consensual sexual encounter.

"So, where are we headed this time, Doctor?" Tegan asked, watching as the Doctor rushed around the control console, cheerfully flipping switches and pulling levers.

"We're going to the planet Nyfmiq in the year 52,830. They're holding a rather marvelous science exposition there. It lasted an entire Earth year and some of the best scientific minds of the era attended."

"Oh, joy," Tegan offered, sardonically, causing the Doctor to give her a hurt expression. "Sorry, Doc, but science just isn't my thing."

"Yes, I know," the Doctor sighed. "That's why I'm landing us in the third month. Yewtx and the Bramrovs were there at that time, giving a series of concerts. That and seeing a few plays or shopping should keep you entertained."

"Yewtx and the Bramrovs?"

"Don't worry so much, Tegan," the Doctor assured her as the TARDIS landed, handing her a small wallet of the local currency. "There you are. Are we ready?"

"I am," Turlough offered. "I'm quite looking forward to this. I've heard a lot about this particular exposition."

"Have fun, then," Tegan dismissed. "Any concert sounds better than that."

The Doctor shot her a mildly offended look, but led his companions out of the TARDIS onto a busy city street.

"There you are, Tegan," the Doctor offered, pointing up the street to an intersection. "Just go up to that intersection and turn left. The concert hall is a large brick building, two blocks up. You can't miss it. It has a large sign on it, saying Haldine Concert Hall."

"All right, Doc. Meet you boys back here later," Tegan responded cheerfully.

Tegan followed the simple directions to the concert hall. Entering the building, Tegan approached the front desk, operated by a pretty alien female. She appeared mostly human, except there were mottled brown and tan feathers on her head and cascading down her back. Her eyes were a dark yellow, with the pupil of a bird. She had full lips, curved into a gentle smile, beneath a straight nose. A name badge proclaimed her name to be Pryta.

"Hello, I'd like to see the concert, please," Tegan greeted.

Pryta gave a nervous twitter, before apologizing, "I'm sorry, I'll have to see if there are any seats left. Yewtx is very popular and we filled up rather rapidly. He's about to begin. Give me just a moment."

Pryta rapidly pressed buttons on a datascreen in front of her, scanning rapidly. Her brow was furrowed and finally she stopped.

"There's one seat left, but it's at a table for two, with one other customer. Is that all right?"

"Sure, that's fine," Tegan assured her, smiling.

"Let me just go warn the other guest," Pryta instructed, taking Tegan's money for her ticket. Pryta disappeared for a few moments, then came back, the feathers on her head fluttering slightly.

"I'm sorry. The...gentleman agreed, but...he wasn't very pleased with the arrangement. If you'd like to come back tomorrow night, I can give you a ten percent discount," Pryta offered.

"No, that's all right. I can handle myself," Tegan assured her.

"Well, this man makes me a bit nervous," Pryta admitted. "You see all kinds in this business, but..."

Tegan considered, briefly, then shrugged.

"I'm just here to see the concert. I'm sure the gentleman and I can ignore each other peacefully."

"All right," Pryta conceded, nodding. "If you'll follow me, please."

Tegan followed Pryta into the auditorium. The musicians were playing to a limited audience, who were seated in comfortable chairs around small tables. The patrons were enjoying drinks and, if they chose, plates of food. The room held only about two hundred guests. Pryta led Tegan to a table towards the front and stopped. Tegan stared in disbelief at the back of the man whose table held an empty chair. She saw black velvet over broad shoulders, leading to a tall, silver-embroidered collar.

"Here we are," Pryta offered with false cheer. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm sure you'll have a pleasant evening together."

"I came to see a concert, not to be set up on a blind date," the Master informed her brusquely, not bothering to turn around.

"It's not a date, it's simply sharing your table as a courtesy," Tegan snapped.

Tegan bit her lip, nervously, as the Master spun around in surprise. She was almost relieved to see he didn't appear angry anymore, but that feeling rapidly abated, when his lips spread slowly into a predatory smile. Tegan felt Pryta beside her twitch nervously, a small birdish sound of worry fluttering from her throat. The Master stood and gave their hostess only the briefest glance, before studying Tegan openly.

"Tegan Jovanka," he chuckled. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise!"

"Um, you know, there are some brothers I know attending the concert," Pryta offered, anxiously. "I'm sure one of them would gladly give his seat to you and share this gentleman's table."

"No, I'll be fine," Tegan assured her, hoping she was telling the truth. "We know each other. No need to disrupt someone else's evening."

"Are you sure..." Pryta began.

"She said so, didn't she?" the Master interrupted coldly. "You needn't be concerned."

"Well, it might help, if you stopped being rude," Tegan pointed out, sulkily. "She's just doing her job."

The Master's black brows arched in sardonic humor. Turning to Pryta, he smiled charmingly, giving a small bow.

"I beg your pardon, Miss Pryta. It was not my intent to be rude," the Master informed her silkily, his tone light and amused. "I assure you the young lady will be quite well. Would you mind having a waiter bring us two glasses of wine...a good Sauternes, perhaps?"

Pryta looked at Tegan, who nodded, giving a slight smile.

"As you wish, sir, miss," Pryta agreed, rushing off to place the order.

The Master watched her leave, chuckling slightly, then walked around the table and held Tegan's chair out for her. Tegan accepted the courtesy, placing her purse on the table and watching the Master as he sat down again. Her pulse raced slightly, as thoughts of their past encounters swirled in her head.

Putting their sexual encounter behind her had proved harder than Tegan had bargained for. She was disturbed by the fact that she could still remember his taste and the clean scent of whatever soap he used. Now, sitting at a table with him, Tegan tried to push all of that aside, reminding herself that, above all, the Master was dangerous.

"So, how did I gain the pleasure of your company this evening?"

Tegan shifted slightly, answering, "The Doctor and Turlough are at a science exposition. Science doesn't interest me much, so the Doctor recommended this concert to me. Why aren't you at the exposition?"

"I was," the Master informed her, smiling. "I attended it both yesterday and earlier this afternoon. You're a fan of Yewxt and the Bramrovs?"

"No, I've never heard of them," Tegan admitted. "I don't even know what kind of music they play."

"The music they play is called voxomplessa. Voxomplessa is where a vocalist leads a small band or orchestra, usually of less than seven members, with instruments such as piano, guitar, keyboard, and saxophone, without reference to any type of geographic region."

"That sounds like rock and roll to me!" Tegan exclaimed as a waiter came by, depositing two glasses of wine on the table. The Master took his glass and gave a careful sip, before nodding his approval to the waiter, who hurried off. Tegan took a careful sip of the wine and found it was sweet, tasting of honey.

"Thank you," Tegan offered the Master politely.

"You're welcome. Rock and roll is a type of voxomplessa, certainly. However, American country music is another type," the Master explained, nodding to the stage as Yewxt came out and began introducing himself to the audience.

As Yewxt began speaking, the lights turned down, leaving the stage bright and the audience in semi-darkness. Tegan turned her attention to the musicians, listening to the first song with interest and pleasure. The group was very talented and Tegan enjoyed watching the lead singer dance and sing. Engaged as her interest was, though, Tegan found herself shooting glances every so often at the Master, who was leaned comfortably back in his chair, sipping his wine. After awhile, the Master caught her gaze and smiled.

"Is the music to your liking?" he asked, the music loud enough to hide their conversation, but not so loud as to prevent it.

"Yes, it's very good. I wouldn't have thought it was your type of music, though," Tegan admitted, before she could stop herself.

"What sort of music did you think I would listen to?" the Master asked, visibly amused.

"I don't know," Tegan responded a bit defensively. "Something with...orchestras and military marches, I guess."

The Master laughed.

"I do enjoy those as well," he agreed. "However, Yewxt and his piano player are both very talented."

"They are that," Tegan conceded, allowing this new knowledge to reshape slightly her internal image of the Master. She stopped there, uncertain what to say, what questions he would tolerate, or even if she really had any she wanted answered.

Tegan turned her attention back to the concert, losing herself for awhile in the music, letting it sweep over her emotions and tickle her imagination. She wished she knew the words well enough to sing along a bit, if only under her breath, and made a mental note to buy some of the group's music to play in the TARDIS. Tegan studied the alien musician, comparing him to rock stars from her own time and place.

Yewxt himself was...well, not handsome in any human sense, but pleasant to look at, all the same. He was about seven feet tall, and very lean in the lines of his body. His leathery skin was a light brown, with a slight bluish tinge to it. The tips of large wings just poked up over his shoulders. Every once in awhile, at moments of great passion or importance, the wings would flare out, sending a slight breeze into the audience that Tegan was just close enough to feel. Yewxt's face was too sharp and his nose too undefined to look human, but his eyes were large and a beautiful brown color. His mouth was very small, but with full, well shaped lips.

"He's considered very handsome," the Master informed her suddenly, his tone even and indifferent, "and not just by women of his own species."

Tegan stared at him a moment, confused by his comment, then shrugged, replying, "He's nice to look at, I guess. I'm not sure I'd use the word handsome. Interesting, maybe."

The Master smirked at this, turning to face her a bit more.

"Many humans have disagreed with you, my dear. He's had quite a few of your species as lovers."

"I wasn't being...speciesist!" Tegan hissed, offended. "Maybe I'm just not the type to fall at the feet of every rock and roll star that comes along!"

"Actually, I'm fairly certain that speciesist isn't a word," the Master observed.

"It is now!" Tegan informed him, flatly.

"If you insist," the Master conceded, chuckling. "Still, you must admit there's something rather romantic about falling for musicians. They have a certain mystique that almost always appears in species that listen to music, particularly if their musicians travel a lot."

Tegan leaned forward, with her elbows on the table, resting her cheek against her hand. She studied the Master for a moment, trying to fit the pieces of him, both what he said and what she had experienced herself, into a rational whole. To her, the pieces seemed mismatched and confusing. The Master stared openly back at her, his expression curious, with the ends of his mouth quirked up in amusement.

"Well?" he prodded.

"I guess I'm just not the groupie type," Tegan answered, trying to steer the conversation to safer ground, but rather failing, when she couldn't resist adding, "and I wouldn't have thought you would be, either!"

The Master just shrugged, telling her, "Talent is always attractive, my dear."

"Yeah, fame and money don't hurt, either."

"How very cynical of you," the Master scolded, lightly, his voice rumbling slightly with laughter.

"It's not cynicism, it's just a fact," Tegan defended. "Look at Mick Jagger! Really, how many people would want to sleep with him, if he was selling used cars? Half the time people sleep with rock stars, it's just because of their fame, not because they find them attractive. Another quarter of the time, it's just cause they're confusing their feelings for the music, with feelings for the musician."

The Master blinked in surprise.

"You seem to have given the issue a lot of thought!"

Tegan gave an embarrassed chuckle, blushing a bit.

"Sorry about that. When I was at school, I had to talk a girlfriend out of running off with a local singer. She got all soft in the head over him and he wasn't even that..." Tegan broke off, shrugging, realizing the story couldn't be of much interest to him.

If unaffected by the history, the Master didn't seem bothered. He merely shrugged lightly at the information, responding, "Well, I did use the word romantic. I don't think many people would describe running off with a musician as rational."

"True enough," Tegan agreed, wanting to keep as much peace as possible.

The Master turned back to the music, chuckling softly. Tegan bit the inside of her lip, determined to make it through the rest of the concert silently. She reminded herself that she hadn't come here to socialize, certainly not with the Master, and she didn't need to make small talk. She sipped nervously at her wine, watching Yewxt spin around the stage.

Yewxt was playing faster songs than before and a pulse of joy and energy fueled his song. Tegan leaned back, smiling, and began tapping her foot to the beat. She found herself moving her shoulders and nodding her head, too, unashamedly losing herself in the upbeat music. Wanting to get a good look at the outfits on the background singers, Tegan looked to the left and found the Master staring at her, his lips quirked in almost rueful amusement. She stared defiantly back, which made the Master smile wider.

Tegan started to say something to the Master, but was interrupted by Yewxt himself.

"You've been a great audience, gentle beings. I have two more numbers to play for you, then it will be time to bid you goodnight. I hope you have enjoyed the show and I hope to see you again. This next piece is called More to You."

The audience clapped briefly, then quieted down as Yewxt began singing. Tegan pouted a bit, wondering what she would do with the rest of her night.

"You don't look pleased, my dear," the Master observed.

"Well, it was an awfully short concert," Tegan complained.

To her surprise, the Master gave her an incredulous look and laughed.

"What's so funny?" Tegan asked, annoyed.

"My dear, two hours is quite long enough for a concert, I should think," the Master laughed.

Tegan checked her watch and discovered the Master was right. Two hours had, indeed, passed. She blushed, not sure how to respond. She kept her eyes glued to the stage, until Yewxt wound up his show, taking multiple bows and thanking the audience again, before the opaque field that had replaced the traditional curtain turned on. The lights brightened and everyone began filing out.

Tegan stood to join the others, turning to the Master, who was standing and straightening his tunic. She started to wish him a good evening but he walked around to her and laced her hand through his arm.

"Come, my dear Miss Jovanka. I'll walk you out," the Master announced.

"All right," Tegan conceded reluctantly.

The Master led her silently outside, into the twilight of early evening, somehow managing to keep them from being jostled by the crowd. Tegan walked silently beside him, wondering why he was prolonging things. Tegan was relieved, when the Master turned them towards the exposition. Somehow, the Master led them unerringly to the TARDIS. He stopped within eyesight, turning to Tegan and letting go of her hand.

Tegan stared up at him, feeling a blush beginning to creep across her cheeks. The air felt charged and she felt a tingling deep in her lungs. She tried to find something sensible to say, but her mind felt sluggish. She looked helplessly at the Master, noting the way the light breeze ruffled his hair. She studied the planes of his face, noting the elegantly arched eyebrows and the strong jaw, with its neatly trimmed beard leading to his mustache. Tegan lost patience with herself, when she had to force herself to not linger on his mouth.

"Well, thank you for sharing your table," Tegan began, trying to find a way to say good night.

The Master didn't respond to her words, but reached out to her, tracing his fingers gently across her jaw to her chin and tilting her head up. He ran his thumb gently across her cheek.

"This lighting suits you, my dear," the Master informed her.

Tegan swallowed, unsure how to respond. She wasn't sure what the Master saw in her expression, but it made him laugh. He placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her forward into a kiss. He let his mouth linger teasingly on hers, before withdrawing, wearing a pleased smirk.

"You really do love being contrary, don't you," Tegan chided calmly.

"You're getting to know me quite well, it seems," the Master acknowledged, smiling gently.

He took her hand and kissed it softly, keeping his eyes on hers. Tegan couldn't help smiling a little, charmed despite herself.

"Good night, my dear," the Master offered, ending the tension.

"Good night."

The Master bowed, then turned and began walking back the way they had came. Tegan watched him disappear down the street, before turning and hurrying to the safety and stability of the TARDIS. 


	2. The Bitter Past

Tegan walked down the hall of the royal palace of Prolekeb. She had been trapped in the gardens, while the Doctor overcame a hostile force of fog creatures, that threatened the royal family. Now that they were defeated, Tegan had been released and was making her way back to the throne room.

"Good afternoon, Miss Jovanka," a rich voice greeted her.

Looking up a side hallway, Tegan saw the Master, walking casually towards her, a small grin playing on his lips. Tegan swallowed, bracing herself. She wasn't happy with him or with herself. The concert, even more than the sex they'd shared, had upset her view of him. Before she had hated him, but now she struggled with an uncomfortable mix of anger, guilt, and a warm feeling she refused to admit was anything but desire.

"You shouldn't be here," Tegan huffed, irritated at the strength of her reaction to him.

"Possibly, but I rarely let that stop me, when I have something to accomplish," the Master observed, his head tilted in curiosity.

"Like what? Why are you here?" Tegan asked flatly, upset and puzzled.

"Do I need an excuse? Perhaps, I merely want to say hello," the Master claimed, chuckling.

"Stop it!" Tegan responded angrily, half turning from him, in an effort to control herself. "It's so easy for you isn't? You don't have to worry about other people and consequences. You can just come and go and wreak all the havoc you like!"

"You seem to like the sort of havoc I've been wreaking lately," the Master pointed out, outwardly amused, but inwardly puzzled, starting to worry. Had the Doctor said something unkind to her? "Although, I'm not the one that locked us in together."

"I didn't mean to!" Tegan protested. "Anyway, you said it was hate sex, remember? We had an excuse...at least until that blasted concert!"

"But, it was merely an excuse, wasn't it?" the Master prodded, feeling a wave of triumph. "Though, I don't really see why you need one!"

"Don't!" Tegan ordered sharply. "You just don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?" the Master demanded, striving for patience.

"You've turned me into a traitor," Tegan insisted, miserably.

"That's a bit strong, don't you think?" the Master asked, surprised. What in the cosmos did she think she'd betrayed?

"A bit strong?" Tegan repeated, her voice becoming almost shrill with accusation. "You killed my Auntie Vanessa, remember? I loved her, you know!"

The Master cursed mentally. He'd hoped he could delay dealing with that issue, until his relationship with Tegan was on firmer ground. He didn't feel guilty, but he did regret the older woman's death. Not only had it been unnecessary, but it was now an impediment to something he truly wanted. The Master wasn't ready to admit that he found Tegan's pain unacceptable.

"Your aunt," the Master repeated, grimly. "I was expecting you to raise objections about the Doctor."

"The Doctor can take care of himself and it's not like I'd help you harm him, thanks," Tegan snapped. "My aunt was helpless and you...you just killed her!"

"And if I had not?" the Master questioned, wondering what he was up against.

Tegan raised her hands in a helpless gesture and scolded, "But you did! You did and you can't bring her back anymore than the Doctor could bring back Adric!"

The Master's gaze sharpened at that.

"Miss Jovanka..." he began, but she didn't let him continue.

"NO! All right? The answer is no!" Tegan insisted, her voice faltering only slightly.

"The Doctor is here," the Master announced calmly, his own emotions kept under iron control. This wasn't finished, not at all, but he could see the need for a strategic retreat. Tegan needed someone she trusted right now and, unfortunately, he did not yet have that distinction. He wasn't happy at the relief that crossed her features at the Doctor's name, but he understood it, nevertheless.

Tegan turned and saw the Doctor standing at the end of the hall, his expression concerned. After a final, tormented glance at the Master, Tegan turned and ran to her friend. She didn't see the Master take a few steps back and disappear into the shadows of a nearby archway. The Doctor waited until the Master was gone, before placing his hands on Tegan's shoulders.

"Are you all right, Tegan? Did he hurt you?" the Doctor asked, gently.

Tegan took a deep breath, pushing her emotions aside and shaking her head.

"No, he didn't hurt me. I did. I disappointed myself and...she'd be so disappointed in me," Tegan explained.

"Nonsense!" the Doctor denied strongly, hoping to ease her misplaced sense of guilt. "You've done splendidly!"

"Thanks, Doc," Tegan smiled shakily. "Brave heart, huh?"

"Brave heart, indeed!" the Doctor agreed, smiling. "Come on now, cheer up! The king has ordered a great feast in our honor and we have just enough time to freshen up a bit!"

Tegan followed the Doctor, though a stubborn part of her felt more like mourning than celebrating. 


	3. A Practical Solution

Author's note: I'm making the assumption that Auntie Vanessa and Tegan's mother were sisters and that their father was Andrew Verney. Andrew Verney was Tegan's grandfather who was in the episode The Awakening. The Bi-Al Foundation is a medical center featured in the Fourth Doctor serial The Invisible Enemy.

The Master stood in front of the view screen in one of the laboratories of his TARDIS. What he was planning required a precision few people were capable of, though he was confident he would have little trouble. On a transmat pad a few feet to his left, was a perfect clone, properly shrunk, of Vanessa Verney, Tegan's Auntie Vanessa. He had studied the woman for weeks, collecting a sample of her DNA and making sure he had exact copies of all her garments. For this to work, he had to be scrupulous in every detail, even more so than usual!

He watched, amused, as his view screen showed him Tegan and her aunt struggling with a flat tire. He studied Miss Verney carefully and, yes, her timeline was in flux, capable of being manipulated! He remained alert, waiting for the moment of the older woman's presumed death. The Master held in his hand a remote that would simultaneously activate both the transmat pad near him and a transmat beam aimed at the police box onscreen. When he activated the remote, then the clone would swap places with who or whatever was in the path of the transmat beam. The Master chuckled, pleased at what he perceived as a very elegant plan.

The Master watched avidly as Tegan entered the Doctor's TARDIS. The moment was approaching. He watched Vanessa Verney as she stood, approaching the blue box she thought she had seen her niece enter. The Master watched grimly as Miss Verney first entered, then was driven out of his own TARDIS. He watched her vainly attempt to throw a tire at him, shaking his head. He respected Miss Verney's fighting spirit, but of course it was in vain. Without interference, Vanessa Verney was doomed.

Just as his previous self fired the tissue compression eliminator, the Master activated the transmat devices, sending away the clone and bringing Miss Verney into his laboratory. The cursed woman was screaming and continued screaming, when she saw who was in the room with her!

"Stop that awful noise, if you please, madam! You needn't deafen me!"

Vanessa stopped screaming in favor of glaring at him!

"Where am I?" she demanded, breathing heavily.

"You are on my TARDIS, a very special ship. I am the Master."

"Master? You're really called that? Well, my name is Vanessa Verney and I demand...wait, how did we get here? We were both just outside a moment ago! What sort of nasty trick are you up to?"

The Master couldn't help smirking, enjoying her confusion.

"I am. It was moments ago for you, Miss Verney, but it was quite a few years ago for me!"

"What's that supposed to mean? How could years have passed for you?"

"I'm a time traveler. I've come back to this time to prevent your murder!"

"My...you were getting ready to kill me!" Vanessa almost screeched, as she realized what he was implying. "I saw that rather dodgy looking thing you were waving about! Where's Tegan? Did you kill her?"

"Your niece was always safe. She made friends with a man called the Doctor. Now, thanks to my intervention, you are safe as well."

"Why should I believe you? What sort of man calls himself Doctor?"

"Another time traveler, of course. You'll meet him shortly."

"I'll do nothing of the kind! Let me out of here, right now! I'll look for Tegan myself!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Miss Verney. Letting you leave and re-enter this moment in time would create a paradox and even I am not prepared to do that. No, the events that follow must remain unaltered. The Doctor will find your clone and believe the shrunken corpse is you. Tegan will then follow him to Logopolis and spend the next few years as his traveling companion."

"Oh, he's that sort of Doctor is he?" Vanessa asked in disgust.

"No, he is not!" the Master sneered, losing patience. "It'd be more understandable, if he was!"

"I want to see my niece," Vanessa demanded angrily.

"And so you shall!" the Master confirmed. "However, we must first get back to the proper place in the timeline. If you'll come with me, we'll go to the console room and be leaving."

The Master didn't wait for Miss Verney to respond, just swept arrogantly out of the laboratory. He knew she would follow. What choice did she have, after all? He listened complacently to the sound of her footsteps clicking behind him. The Master waited at the door to the console room and held it open for his guest, waving her inside.

Glaring, Vanessa swept past the Master, eying the room with a touch of dread. This was the room she discovered just a few minutes ago, when she was trying to find Tegan. Vanessa prayed the sinister man at the console, pulling levers and pushing buttons, was telling the truth. As he worked, a strange grinding sound filled the room.

"Shouldn't we be seated?" she asked.

"No need. We've already taken off."

"Where, um, when exactly are we going?" Vanessa prodded.

"We are going to Little Hodcombe, England in 1984. Your niece is there, visiting your father."

Vanessa shivered a bit, staring hard at him.

"You seem to know an awful lot about us."

"Indeed, I do. I pride myself on attention to detail."

"If you killed me to begin with, why did you come back to rescue me? What's your connection to my niece and this Doctor?"

"Oh, the Doctor and I are old acquaintances!" the Master informed her, chuckling. "Our paths cross every so often, so I've gotten to know your niece as well. Saving your life is a gift to her."

"A gift?" Vanessa questioned, stunned and freshly worried for her niece!

"Yes, Miss Verney...or a favor, if you prefer that," the Master confirmed, shrugging. He threw a last switch and the Time Rotor stopped its movement. "Here we are. Stay here. I need to prepare them for your presence!"

Ignoring Vanessa's rather shrill protests, the Master exited his TARDIS. He had landed in a small garden, outside the home of Andrew Verney, Tegan's grandfather. Tegan and the Doctor were sitting on a bench. Both were sitting up straight, staring hard at his TARDIS. The Master grinned at the alarm in their expressions. He watched, smirking, as the Doctor stood and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Ah, perfect! I won't have to go looking for you," the Master chuckled. "Good afternoon!"

"Master," the Doctor greeted warily. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"You shouldn't be here," Tegan protested, giving the Doctor an irritated glance.

"It was necessary, my dear," the Master assured her, kindly. "Wait here one moment and you'll see why!"

Tegan and the Doctor watched, puzzled, as the Master disappeared back into his TARDIS, grinning triumphantly. He returned a moment later, with Vanessa Verney trailing reluctantly behind him! Tegan stared in shock as the aunt she'd believed dead exited the Master's TARDIS, looking about skeptically. The Doctor stared at the woman in absolute horror.

"Master," he fumed. "What have you done?"

"I went back and rescued Miss Jovanka's aunt," the Master gloated.

"You've changed history," the Doctor accused.

"Oh, have I? Are your memories altered?"

The Doctor searched his memory, before reluctantly admitting, "They don't appear to be, no."

"Is it really her?" Tegan asked him, stunned.

The Doctor turned to Vanessa Verney, studying the timelines around her. He nodded reluctantly. Seeing that confirmation, Tegan ran to her aunt, throwing her arms around her. Vanessa hugged her back, squeezing tightly, relieved to see her niece seeming whole and healthy. Pulling back, she noticed Tegan had started crying.

"Oh, there, there, dear. I'm all right. I'm more worried about you, to be honest!"

"I'm fine, Auntie, really! I've been traveling and not just on an airplane. Auntie Vanessa, I want you to meet my friend, the Doctor!" Tegan explained, nodding towards her friend.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Verney," the Doctor greeted, his tone grave and angry.

Tegan rolled her eyes at him and pulled her aunt to sit with her on the bench. Unprompted, she began telling Vanessa what had happened in the past few years. Vanessa listened, but part of her attention was on the Doctor and the Master, as they began arguing.

"Oh, stop sulking, Doctor!" the Master scolded. "I would think you'd be pleased!"

"Pleased? When are you going to learn that you can't play god with people's lives? You broke the laws of Time! Plucking this woman out of her own timeline and changing her fate...you know how dangerous that is!" the Doctor scolded.

"I'm not a fool, Doctor, you know me better than that! The woman's timeline was in flux and could be altered safely! There is no paradox, you can tell that for yourself! There was a small risk, perhaps, but nothing a bit of careful planning couldn't take care of!"

"You're forgetting one thing. There was a body! I saw it myself!"

"I managed to get some of Miss Verney's DNA. I took it to the Bi-Al Foundation and had them make me a clone. I shrunk that and used transmat devices to switch the clone with Miss Verney, just as my past self fired the TCE."

"Very clever," the Doctor congratulated sourly. "Though, not half as clever as not committing murder to start with!"

"Everything is all right, though, isn't it?" Tegan demanded, turning towards the two men. "Auntie Vanessa is safe now?"

"That isn't the point, Tegan," the Doctor berated her. "Did you ask this of him? I told you..."

"Enough, Doctor!" the Master interrupted, coldly. "She's innocent. Miss Jovanka made no such suggestion and I did not inform her of my intentions!"

"Is she safe, Doctor?" Tegan demanded, fresh tears welling up, as fear seized her. "You...you don't have to put her back or something, do you?"

The Master shook his head, but she was too busy glaring at the Doctor. The Doctor sighed, shaking his head, as well.

"At this point, that would only cause more problems! No, despite the terrible risk, your aunt is safe. Of course, we're going to have to explain why she was missing for over two years! Or did you think of a reasonable excuse?" he asked the Master sardonically.

"I leave that in your capable hands, Doctor. Your familiarity with these people should prove useful. I suggest keeping the explanation simple, however. A claim of amnesia might be wise."

"Don't press your luck, Master," the Doctor warned.

"I almost never do, Doctor. I've accomplished what I set out to do. Enjoy the rest of this lovely afternoon, my dears," the Master gloated, turning to head back into his TARDIS.

"Master, wait!" Tegan called, standing up and walking close to him.

The Master turned, arching his eyebrows in silent query. Tegan reached up hesitantly, laying a hand gently over his jaw then bringing her hand down slowly, the fingers combing through his beard.

"Thank you," she whispered.

The Master didn't answer in words, but took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her fingers softly.

"Oh, Rassilon's sake," the Doctor muttered, pulling his hat down lower over his face. Tegan and the Master both glared at him. Giving Tegan a bow, the Master disappeared into his TARDIS, which faded away moments later. Tegan sat back down next to her aunt, who gave her a worried glance.

"It's that way between you, is it?" she asked, concerned.

Tegan thought for a moment, then agreed, "Yes, I suppose it is."

"Tegan," the Doctor began, but she interrupted, shaking her head.

"You best leave without me, Doc. It might not make sense or even be right, but I do want him."

"Tegan, you know how dangerous he can be!" the Doctor reminded her gently.

"I know. That's why I'm staying. I'm willing to take the risk for myself, but I won't ask you to take it with me! I'm going to go pack. Is it all right, if I show Auntie Vanessa the TARDIS?"

"Yes, but later, if you don't mind. We really do need to think of an explanation for her sudden reappearance," the Doctor sighed.

"You go on, dearie, we'll join you later," Vanessa assured Tegan.

Tegan left reluctantly, going to her room in the TARDIS. She tried to start packing, but found herself sitting on the bed, wallowing in memories. She didn't want to leave the Doctor, really. She wasn't even sure if the decision to do so was selfish or noble. Tegan sighed, pulling a pillow into her arms. She closed her eyes, waiting for her emotions to settle. After a few more minutes, she heard a soft knock and looked up to see the Doctor standing in her doorway.

"May I come in?" he asked gently.

"Sure, Doc. I haven't got very far, I'm afraid," Tegan apologized.

The Doctor's eyes were sad as he graced Tegan with a kind smile. He came over and sat next to her on the pale blankets of her bed. He took off his hat and sat fiddling with it.

"I won't change my mind, Doctor," Tegan warned. "I know what the Master is capable of, but...that doesn't change how I feel."

"No," the Doctor agreed, smiling. "I don't suppose it does. When I was a boy, I had a friend called Koschei. We were best friends from almost the moment we met as small children. We spent most of our time together, studying and playing. He...he was very important to me and my dearest friend. Koschei was always encouraging me. I didn't get very good grades, I'm afraid. I just didn't have the focus. He never let me give up on myself, though. He was always telling me how brilliant I was and going along with my experiments, even though some of them back then were pretty daft!"

"He sounds like a pretty great friend."

"He was. He was brilliant and good. We were very close for centuries."

"What happened?" Tegan asked, fascinated at this nugget of her friend's history, when he was usually so silent about his past.

"We grew up and grew apart. Our...ideals changed and became very different from each other, I'm afraid. We began fighting, more and more frequently, until finally, the fighting was all that was left."

"I'm sorry. When was the last time you saw him?"

"Oh, about half an hour ago, when he dropped your aunt off," the Doctor answered, smiling wryly.

Tegan's jaw dropped, making the Doctor grin.

"Don't pack, Tegan," the Doctor cajoled. "See, I can't blame you for caring about him. I still do, despite appearances. Anyway, I'm not your father and would never presume to interfere in your personal life."

Tegan took a deep breath, trying to assimilate everything. She looked up at the Doctor, smiling brightly, and nodded. He stood, then leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Good, now come on. Let's visit your relatives for a little while longer, then we can go find something interesting to divert us!"

Tegan stood and followed, her mind more on the future than the present. She was looking forward to the adventures she would share with the Doctor and to seeing the Master. She thought about him with a soft smile, eager for their next encounter. 


	4. Warm Like Honey

Tegan knelt by a river, feeding bites of marshmallow to a pair of sleek, silver fish. She was at the bottom of a beautiful waterfall, which fell in silver sparkles to a blue pool of water. A soft breeze kept the warm, moist air comfortable on Tegan's skin. Her red bikini was covered by a white, cover-up tunic, with billowing sleeves, that went to her knees, but left her shoulders bare. The gauzy material hid enough for decency, though it was sheer enough to show the color of Tegan's swimsuit and hint at skin. She tugged at the tunic a bit, then tossed another marshmallow to the fish.

The fish, long and slender, with blunt noses, made cooing noises as they broke the surface. Tegan laughed in delight, charmed by the pretty creatures. She sat with her feet tucked underneath her, occasionally reaching out to stroke the oddly tame animals.

"I seem to have found Artemis, bathing in the wild."

Tegan turned in surprise to see the Master approaching. He walked slowly towards her, studying her and her reactions, his expression intent. Tegan sat still, waiting, and blushed a little, when his gaze dropped from her eyes to her body. He studied her hungrily, eyes and mind alike lingering on the delights of her barely concealed flesh. His eyes narrowed with pleasure and a warm shiver rolled across Tegan's skin. She stood, smiling warmly, waiting for him to get closer.

"Of course," he continued, the slightest lifting of the corners of his mouth betraying amusement, "if we're following Earth traditions, I believe you're supposed to turn me into a stag and set hell-hounds loose to tear me to pieces!"

Tegan shook her head, laughing a little.

"No, no hell hounds, Master, only a couple of greedy fish!" she promised, her voice low and soft.

"Greedy fish with a taste for sweets, it seems," the Master observed.

"They like marshmallows," Tegan explained, her breath quickening as he got close to her.

"Who does not?" the Master responded, stopping just before their bodies met.

"Master..." Tegan stopped, unsure how to continue, but placed a tentative hand on his shoulder.

He smiled, reaching up and tracing a finger across her lips, making them tremble. The Master cupped the back of her head, holding her still. Tegan looked into his eyes. As always, his gaze was cold and compelling, but there was something like hesitance in them. He leaned forward a bit, then stopped, his lips inches from hers.

"Yes?" he asked, holding her gaze firmly.

"Yes," she agreed, a bit of her own hunger evident in her voice.

The Master nodded and pressed their lips together. Tegan shivered and pressed herself close to him. Relaxing, she traced his lips with the tip of her tongue, savoring the electric tingle she received, when his tongue touched hers. The Master pulled back and bit her lower lip, sucking on it gently. Tegan sighed happily and the Master grinned, backing off and shaking his head.

"I want you somewhere that we can linger without fear of interruption," he informed her. "Sadly, that requires informing the Doctor of where you will be."

Tegan took a deep breath, steadying herself and nodding. Her heart was racing, making her blood feel quick and heavy as it throbbed through her veins. She pointed down the stream.

"He and Turlough are down there. We came to swim, but I heard the waterfall and wanted to see," she explained.

The Master nodded, then took her hand and lead her in the direction of the Doctor. Tegan followed, her mind reeling from a sense of unreality mixed with and heightened by her arousal. She held onto the Master's hand, wishing the glove wasn't keeping her from feeling his skin against her palm. They found the Doctor and Turlough within minutes, swimming idly. Turlough came up from the water in alarm, when he saw the Master with Tegan, but the Doctor stood up calmly.

"Well, hello. Are you joining us, Master?" he offered, ignoring the incredulous look Turlough gave him.

"Not precisely, Doctor, no. I just didn't want you thinking Tegan needed to be rescued."

"Ah, I see. Well, you could join us later, for dinner, perhaps?"

"Perhaps, Doctor," the Master shrugged, evasively.

"Of course," the Doctor sighed, making Tegan giggle.

"I'll see you two later," Tegan assured them.

"We'll meet you at the TARDIS, if not sooner," the Doctor agreed.

Tegan nodded, waving cheerfully, as the Master led her away. 


	5. Ballpark

Bright sunshine shown down on the purple grass. Vendors hawked nuts, hot meat sandwiches, and cold drinks. On the playing field, the Sonic Warriors' coach consulted with his two flankers. They were losing to the Fire Wasps by only two points and the game was in its last quarter. A win for the Sonic Warriors would be difficult, but not impossible.

Tegan was oblivious to the drama unfolding in front of her. She was sitting in front of the Master, sharing his spot on one of the wide stadium benches and leaning back against his chest. The Doctor and Turlough were spending the day playing cricket, while she spent some time with the Master. She had been watching the game with pleasure, but had little patience for prolonged time-outs and consultations. After the first two minutes, Tegan had turned her attention to the temptation of her lover's throat.

Tegan nibbled and kissed lightly at the underside of the Master's jaw, where it met with his neck, above his jugular. She grabbed a small bit of skin between her teeth and pulled teasingly. The Master seemed to ignore her, other than a slight tightening of his arms around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Tegan smirked, kissing the slight pressure marks from her teeth.

"Tegan," the Master interrupted, his sonorous voice breathier than she would have expected. "You do realize that on Gallifrey this behavior would get you arrested for public indecency?"

Tegan glanced up at him with an expression of mild disbelief, laughing lightly. The Master grinned at her, but his gaze was unwavering.

"You make your fellow Time Lords sound like an awfully stuffy lot," Tegan reflected, amused.

"They certainly are," the Master agreed. "However, in this case, it's more a matter of differences in biology."

"Biology?" Tegan asked, puzzled.

"Mm. Humans are mildly sensitive in the neck and shoulders," the Master explained, reaching a hand up to brush lightly against the nape of her neck, making Tegan shiver. "Time Lords are far more so. It's one of our major erogenous zones, in fact."

Tegan leaned the back of her head against his shoulder, smirking.

"So, how erogenous are we talking about here?" she asked innocently, prompting a burst of laughter from the Master.

"For humans that sort of play is about half a step above kissing. For a Time Lord," he continued, his voice going lower, until he was almost whispering, placing his lips close to her ear, "its more like running your hands over the inner thighs or cupping a breast."

Tegan couldn't help giggling, though a blush spread across her cheeks. She wasn't helped by feeling a rumble of laughter from the Master, where her back was pressed against his chest.

"Aw and here I was just being friendly, while we wait for the game to pick up," Tegan teased.

"Yes, in fact, you were being a bit friendlier than you intended," the Master observed dryly.

"I guess that explains the high collar that Flavia was wearing, then?" Tegan asked, unrepentantly.

"As you observed, my dear, Time Lords tend to be a "stuffy lot," the Master confirmed.

"Oh, all right, I suppose I better behave then," Tegan conceded with a put-upon sigh.

"I'm not sure that's a tragedy I want to be responsible for," the Master retorted. "Although, it will definitely be an intriguing effort to observe."

"Oh, really? Which is the tragic part, then, my behaving or my not being good at it?" Tegan asked archly.

"Oh, your succeeding would be the tragedy, of course," the Master replied serenely. "Your attempt at good behavior would merely be inconvenient."

Tegan gave a gasp of mock outrage, turning and sinking her teeth hard into the base of the Master's neck and staying that way, while waiting for his reaction. The Master gave a small grunt that seemed to express both pain and amusement.

"Your attempt to behave was rather short-lived," he informed her, chuckling.

"I only have motivation in the other direction," Tegan admitted, shrugging.

"Do I taste that good?" the Master asked, skeptically.

"Actually, yes, you do!" Tegan responded, laughing again.

"Hmm, well, you might want to put your taste for flesh on hold, my dear. I believe the game is continuing," the Master reflected, pointing to the moving players on the field.

"Oh, look, they've stopped chattering," Tegan mocked, sounding delighted.

"Impatient," the Master scolded mildly, smirking.

"Yes, rather," Tegan acknowledged, settling back against him again.

The Master chuckled and placed a retaliatory kiss on side of her neck, smirking when she squirmed slightly. It wasn't, he reflected with satisfaction, as if she had any reason to expect him to behave! 


	6. And They Danced

The Doctor held back in the doorway to the ballroom, trying vainly to ignore the virulent, not to mention loud, argument taking place between his two companions. Tegan and Turlough stood just far enough inside the ballroom to let others pass by. An embarrassing amount of people were doing so, giving the young ones glances ranging from mild amusement to superior disdain. Tegan ignored all of them, her face red with emotion as she glared at Turlough.

"I can't believe you had the nerve to suggest that!" Tegan snapped.

"Look, I'm telling you this, as your friend," Turlough huffed. "We're talking about the Master, for goodness's sake! It's not like you have a lot to offer someone like him!"

Tegan's jaw dropped and her hands twitched, before she folded her arms firmly across her chest. She didn't want to ruin the evening, before it even started, and giving Turlough a sharp slap across the face would probably do just that! She took a calming breath, but her eyes were filled with rage.

"Fortunately, the Master doesn't seem to see it that way!"

"Oh, look I didn't mean it like that!" Turlough urged, impatiently. "It's just...you're not rich, nobility, or a scientist who builds weapons! If he can't use you to conquer the universe, that really only leaves him with one motive, doesn't it?"

"That might leave you with only one motive," Tegan countered. "The Master is more mature!"

"You're giving him far too much credit and you're going to end up hurt!" Turlough scolded. "Doctor, please, talk some sense into her!"

The Doctor came forward reluctantly, plastering on a fake smile and hoping to defuse the situation.

"We can't make her decisions for her, Turlough. Tegan has the final say, the only say, in her personal life. True, the Master isn't trustworthy, per se, but he's usually fairly honest about his intentions. And, he is capable of affection. Remember, he used to be a very good friend of mine."

"Oh, yes, until he started in with the murder attempts," Turlough scoffed.

Tegan snorted and gave Turlough a pointed stare. He blushed, looking down, then back at the Doctor, pleadingly.

"Tegan, mistaken in his ideas about the Master or not, Turlough does only have your best interests at heart," the Doctor reminded her sternly. "Now, why don't we end this for now? I suggest we find a table."

The Doctor led his companions to the tables that were set up on one side of the ballroom. Most of the room was set aside for dancing, but there was a buffet, as well. The prince and princess of Regelon IV were celebrating their third wedding anniversary and the Doctor had a standing invitation to their parties. Tegan sat down at a table near the dance floor, still smarting from Turlough's insinuations. Each table held a platter of hors d'oeuvres and two bottles of wine, red and white. The Doctor sighed silently and glanced with feigned interest at the offerings, while Turlough twisted his napkin, frowning slightly.

Tegan jumped, when she felt something smooth and cool brush across the back of her neck.

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourselves, my dears. Surely, the food isn't disappointing?"

"Well, hello, you," Tegan greeted the Master, beaming.

"Good evening, Master," the Doctor offered cordially.

"Doctor, Turlough," the Master greeted, giving a small bow. He lifted Tegan's fingers to his lips for a brief kiss, before taking a chair and sitting down beside her.

"Master," Turlough acknowledged, unable to keep from sounding a bit sulky.

"Is there a problem?" the Master asked with feigned mildness.

"They're young," the Doctor informed him, dismissively. "They tend to quarrel more than is necessary."

"I just wonder what your intentions towards my friend are, actually," Turlough burst out, unable to refrain from speaking his mind. "You're not exactly trustworthy, you must admit."

"As a matter of fact, I do admit it. Go on, boy. What advantage do you think romancing Tegan gives me...beyond the pleasure of her company, of course?"

"None that I can think of," Turlough admitted, pointedly, "which leads me to conclude that a certain pleasure is all that you are after!"

Tegan winced and the Doctor tensed, both expecting the Master to lash out at the rash young man. The Master, however, merely sat back, chuckling.

"You were foolish enough to suggest that to her?" the Master inquired, his lips spread into a sardonic smirk.

"You said yourself that romancing her gives you no advantage," Turlough persisted. "What other use could you have for her!"

"You underestimate her," the Master corrected, frowning. "Tegan has many fine qualities that I appreciate, even if you do not."

"I do appreciate them..." Turlough began, fuming.

"Excellent," the Master interrupted. "Then you'll accept that our relationship is mutually satisfying in more respects than one and leave it at that."

"Yes, I agree-innocent, until proven guilty, and all that!" the Doctor interrupted. "I think that's enough for one evening, Turlough. Why don't you find someone to dance with?"

"Fine," Turlough agreed, resignedly, marching off to the dance floor with wounded dignity.

"Actually, I think that's a good idea," the Master agreed, standing. "Would you like to dance, Tegan?"

"I'd love to," Tegan agreed, smiling, though the Master noticed her expression wasn't as bright as it usually was, under similar circumstances.

The Master led Tegan to the dance floor, placing one hand on her waist and the other around her fingers. She settled in to the dance position, with a small sigh. The Master began leading her around the dance floor, giving her a moment to fall into rhythm, before addressing her again.

"You shouldn't heed that foolish boy, Tegan," the Master instructed, his tone cool and calm, while his hand caressed her waist gently.

"He did a bit of a number on my ego," Tegan admitted, soberly. "I never claimed to be a great intellect or scientist, but I never thought of myself as being completely useless, either."

"Nor are you. Let me put it to you this way, my dear," the Master explained. "Gallifrey is full of intellects and scientists. It's considered, by the Time Lords who choose to remain there, to be nearly a paradise, a place where scientists can pursue intellectual pursuits to their hearts' content...yet, the Doctor and I both fled the place, getting as far away from it and its people as we could. We prefer to be out here, among species that don't always value science and intellect for their own sakes."

"There is that," Tegan admitted, her smile a bit brighter, a slight tease entering her voice. "Though, you and the Doctor have expressed some impatience with us lowly humans in the past!"

The Master just smiled serenely.

"Well, as for the Doctor, arrogance is another specialty of Time Lords. We're taught at the Academy to be careful of other species and how our behavior and superior knowledge can unduly influence them. Even the Doctor can't find it easy to throw off over a century of indoctrination."

"O-kay. That's his reason. What's yours?"

"Oh, my motive for denouncing other species is even simpler. It irks the Doctor!" the Master admitted, grinning smugly.

Tegan burst into giggles, her ill humor vanishing. The Master smiled in triumph.

"You two really are a couple of schoolboys!" Tegan scolded merrily. "I feel sorry for your teachers, I really do!"

"Hah!" the Master scorned, grinning. "They deserved everything they got, believe me! Anyway, it wasn't so bad for them. Back then, the Doctor and I got along splendidly, despite the damage we did to each others schoolwork."

"Yeah, he said as much," Tegan admitted, smiling softly and wishing she could get a glimpse of those boys from long ago.

"Did he?" the Master asked, a bit surprised. "That's unusual."

"I was surprised," Tegan agreed. "He almost never talks about his past, not in any detail, anyways."

"That's not very surprising. His life on Gallifrey isn't worth talking about and his life since has been much as it is now."

"You make it sound like a terrible place," Tegan observed, tilting her head back to study his expression.

"As I said, the Doctor and I both fled," the Master agreed, sounding mildly amused. "Oh, it's marvelous, in some ways, with no crime and little poverty or other social ills. Still. Its society is corrupt and stagnant, never changing and never learning. Neither of us could bear it."

"So you fled to conquer the universe and the Doctor to save it," Tegan concluded wryly.

"That gives us each a credit for organization and foresight that we don't deserve," the Master contradicted, sardonically. "Neither of us had such grand plans. We just wanted to be out in the universe and living, rather than existing! If we thought about it at all, I suppose we imagined ourselves pursuing science and higher learning."

"Yes, you two do love your science," Tegan agreed, exasperated.

The Master just laughed, spinning her around by her hand.

"How very tedious of us, inflicting dull science on such an active young lady," the Master mocked, gently.

"Absolutely terrible," Tegan agreed cheerfully.

The Master's reply went unvoiced. Turlough approached, looking a bit sheepish.

"I'm sorry, Master, but would you mind, if I cut in?"

The Master arched an eyebrow, then turned to Tegan, his expression inquiring. Tegan hesitated, then gave a nod, smiling ruefully.

"As you wish," the Master agreed amiably, bowing and giving her hand a brief kiss, before handing it over to Turlough.

The Master went back to their table and sat down across from the Doctor. He studied the young ones for a moment, but they seemed to be getting along well enough. Tegan was smiling, now, and Turlough looked almost apologetic. Satisfied, the Master turned to his old friend and nemesis, who was finishing up describing a cricket play to a lady at the neighboring table. Sensing the Master's presence, the Doctor looked from him to the dance floor, not bothering to hide his curiosity.

"Turlough's apologizing, I believe," the Master informed him, shrugging.

"Ah, yes, good! Tegan certainly seems much more relaxed," the Doctor agreed, smiling cheerfully.

"I must say, I'm rather pleasantly surprised. I thought you would object to my relationship with her."

"Well," the Doctor began, shrugging helplessly, "it's really none of my business, is it? Anyway, if you were going to romance a companion as part of some scheme, I imagine you would have done it a long time ago, perhaps with Jo Grant. There certainly would be more logical choices than Tegan."

"True," the Master agreed, smiling. "She certainly has a will of her own."

"Yes and a rather sharp tongue to go with it," the Doctor observed drily.

"I did say she has qualities that I admire," the Master reminded him.

"Indeed, you did. Then again, if this were part of some scheme, it's taking you quite a long time to spring your trap. Five months is a bit excessive."

"Ludicrously so," the Master agreed, amiably.

"So, I have to conclude that your interest in Tegan is personal and nothing to do with me or your ambitions. Of course, that doesn't mean that I don't feel concern for her, either," the Doctor finished, a slight warning tone entering his voice.

"She's as likely to hurt me, as I am to hurt her," the Master observed, acknowledging the threat with a slight tilt of his head.

"I'm rather surprised, all things considered. I thought you despised humans on principle."

"I'm not that petty. They've done me no wrong."

"Yes, well, no, they haven't," the Doctor agreed, "but you thought..."

"I was mistaken and that was a long time ago," the Master interrupted, coldly. "Life forces all of us to grow up sooner or later."

"Growing up doesn't have to mean growing cynical."

"Perhaps not, but it does mean accepting the darker nature of the universe and not hiding behind sentiment and platitudes. Like it or not, Doctor, the universe is not kind."

"All the more reason for us to be! I'd rather cast light, no matter how dim, than be overcome by darkness. You used to shine, Koschei!" the Doctor lamented.

"You're idealizing the past, my friend, but there's little point in arguing. Our philosophies are too far apart these days."

"I just wish you would listen to reason!"

"What an interesting accusation for you to be making!" the Master said pointedly.

The Doctor sighed, nodding, "All right, yes, I do owe you an apology for the Death Zone. I'm sorry I assumed you were guilty. I should have given you a fairer hearing."

"Thank you," the Master acknowledged simply, satisfied.

Smiling, the Doctor opened a bottle of wine, pouring them each a glass of the rich, red fluid. He handed one to the Master, who took it graciously. Tegan and Turlough soon re-joined them, helping themselves to wine.

"Are you two getting along?" Tegan asked, trying not to seem worried.

"Well enough, my dear," the Master assured her, smirking.

"And what of you and Turlough?" the Doctor asked. "Are you getting along?"

"Well enough, thanks," Turlough quipped.

"I'm glad to hear it. Now, perhaps, we can enjoy the ball," the Doctor suggested.

"Yes, a night of dancing and good food is just what we need," Tegan agreed.

"Ah, but how are you going to convince the Doctor to dance?" the Master teased.

"I've no objection to dancing," the Doctor protested.

"No? Yet, you can so rarely be persuaded."

"Well, maybe he doesn't enjoy dancing," Turlough speculated.

"I do enjoy dancing, thank you, Turlough!"

"What is this, "pick on the Doctor" night?" Tegan objected.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to confine that to a single night!"

"Yes, we have noticed that, Master," the Doctor assured him sardonically.

Tegan stood up, laughing.

"Come on, you," she urged the Master. "You can practice what you preach, instead."

Chuckling, the Master leaned back in his chair, staring up at her in amusement. Tegan waited patiently, grinning and stubborn. Laughing harder, the Master stood and bowed to her, before taking her hand.

"She's also somewhat bossy," he pleasantly reminded the Doctor and Turlough.

"Oh, now that is one of my better qualities," Tegan confirmed, as the Master led her off to dance, the Doctor and Turlough watching in bemusement.

"Better him than me," Turlough vowed, shaking his head. 


	7. Mismatched

Tegan walked through the carnival, smiling brightly, despite the early hour. Around her, games and rides were in full swing, vendors shouted to bring attention to their wares, and people milled around, laughing, eating, and having a great time. The Doctor had brought Tegan and Turlough to the carnival planet of Epsilon Ghanni VI, where several planetary systems sent their harvests and artwork to be displayed. The carnival was a center for commerce and innovation.

Tegan was expecting to meet the Master soon, so she wandered around absorbing the atmosphere and doing a bit of shopping, making note of games and rides she was interested in. A large glass building loomed ahead, gleaming in the early sunlight and looking a bit out of place amongst the bright tents and cheap, wooden vending carts. Shrugging, Tegan went inside, since she'd been told all areas were open to visitors.

Inside, a competition of some kind was taking place. A large, raised area was roped off in the middle of the room and spectators walked around, eying the circle of tables within. The tables were littered with strange devices, bits of wire, and tools of various natures. Fire extinguishers were placed along the walls every four feet and sprinklers were placed overhead. Tegan shook her head, making a note to point the Doctor in this direction. Tegan couldn't tell what the point of the contest was, since nothing on any of the tables looked remotely familiar.

Tegan did find a familiar face in the crowd, however. Shaking her head in amusement, she walked over to the Master, who was looming over one of the tables with a great air of concentration. She stood close to him, wondering what he could find so intriguing in the ungainly mess of wires and metal bits she saw.

"Good morning, handsome!" she greeted, drawing his attention.

The Master blinked, looking oddly at her for a moment.

"Good morning," he acknowledged, before his eyes were once more drawn to the work on the table.

A tall humanoid began piecing some wire together, an act the Master seemed to find intriguing. Tegan smiled indulgently and stood as still as she could, watching. There was a rhythm to the contestant's movements that was somewhat enthralling, but Tegan had no idea what he was doing or why.

"Okay, I give up. What is it?"

The Master stared at her again, seeming to consider something, then shrugged.

"It isn't anything. He's merely constructing a model of scientific principles in the field of engineering. He's trying to show new ways that the principles can be used in a practical setting."

Tegan sighed, "So, this whole room is full of scientists showing off their toys?"

"This room is full of geniuses who might very well transform the future of the universe," the Master corrected her dryly.

"Right, or that," Tegan agreed, wryly. "Goodness knows it's hard pulling you or the Doctor away from this sort of thing."

The Master turned to her, studying her intently, until she began to feel a bit uneasy.

"What? Is something out of place?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. Before you say anything further, my dear, I should warn you that our timelines are crossing. My time is about two years behind yours."

"You...you mean you're from two years in my past?" Tegan asked, praying she had misunderstood.

"That would be another way of putting it, yes," the Master agreed sardonically, a grin twisting the corners of his lips.

"Hell's teeth!" Tegan pronounced, her eyes wide.

"And another," the Master agreed, chuckling.

"It's not funny!" Tegan scolded. "Won't this create a paradox or something?"

"Calm yourself, Miss Jovanka," the Master instructed, condescendingly. "I'm a Time Lord; this is hardly the first time I've been in such a situation. It's bound to happen eventually in time travel, though it's not common. I'll merely have to suppress the memory."

"Suppress?" Tegan echoed, alarmed. "You're going to deliberately wipe out a section of your own memory?"

"No," the Master explained slowly, surprised at the vehemence of her objection. "I'm going to lock the memory away, until I'm at the proper point in the time line that I should remember it."

"That still sounds like you're using a euphemism for something awful," Tegan complained, unimpressed.

The Master shrugged eloquently.

"You'll have to take my word for it, I'm afraid. As you said, we can't risk a paradox. Relax and try to appreciate the works of genius taking place," he advised.

"Uh huh," Tegan responded skeptically. "One of your geniuses just set his table on fire!"

The Master looked around, smirking at the billows of of black and white smoke coming from the far side of the display.

"Yes, I rather thought he was overloading his bi-ampular circuits," the Master agreed.

Tegan stared hard at him and the Master raised an eyebrow at her in silent inquiry.

"Y'know, we have a custom on Earth. We leave the room, when someone catches it on fire!" Tegan informed him, incredulously.

The Master chuckled.

"Normally, I would commend your practicality, my dear, but you needn't worry. Fires are rather common at these contests and, as you can see, that one is already out."

"I was thinking the fire prevention was a bit overdone," Tegan admitted.

"Really? I was thinking it was inadequate," the Master countered dryly, a bit pleased when Tegan laughed.

"That does me in," she chuckled, surrendering. "It's too early to deal with crossed timelines and geniuses setting the table on fire. I'm going for coffee."

The Master bowed elegantly.

"Until we meet again, my dear," he offered, with genial sarcasm.

"Byyyee," Tegan drawled, smirking.

Tegan walked away, her cheeks burning a bit. Of all the absurd situations for her to land in, that one took the cake! Tegan blinked, as she stepped back out into the sunlight. She looked across the street and smiled. The Master stood in the doorway of his TARDIS, in it's familiar shape as a Roman column. He leaned casually against the frame, his eyes bright with humor and a smirk on his lips.

"Good morning, beautiful," he teased.

"That was embarrassing," Tegan informed him, firmly, walking over to him.

"Ah, but you handled it wonderfully, my dear," the Master assured her, chuckling and holding out his hand.

Tegan placed her hand in his, allowing him to pull her into a kiss, savoring the soft, cool glide of his lips over hers.

"Thanks, but I'd like to avoid situations like that for a bit."

"A wise idea," the Master agreed. "Do you still want coffee?"

"Yes, please," Tegan laughed.

The Master stepped forward, shutting the door to his TARDIS and tugging gently on her hand.

"Come, my dear. Having been here previously, I know an excellent place to get some breakfast," he promised, leading her away from the past. 


End file.
